tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50836382968201688532017-11-29T11:04:19.293-06:00faith from the fieldthoughts on life, politics, science, parenting, and how it all connects with faithSheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.comBlogger281125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-70090637388826578412017-02-01T15:16:00.003-06:002017-02-01T15:16:50.108-06:00Responsible Citizens Need to Go Higher<div class="p1"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">I have been thinking about our duty as citizens in a democratic republic.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">As we are barraged with false and misleading information and as those in power develop more efficient and more manipulative marketing strategies, it becomes imperative citizens engage in ways which go way beyond voting.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">Voting is important but citizens also have a duty to become informed on issues, to hold elected officials accountable for their actions, to speak up against injustice, to make phone calls, participate in peaceful protest, and make our voices heard.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">All of this needs to be based on logic, facts, and compassion.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">Which is not easy.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">There is so much information, so many issues, and so much happening so quickly. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">Because there is so much to process and check and we all have limited time and limited brain space, we may need to become a bit more ruthless about minimizing our exposure to misleading, inflammatory rhetoric.&nbsp; We need to seek out solid news sources but also minimize our exposure to the exaggerated, biased information which swirls around us. &nbsp;It is hard to maintain any objectivity when constantly inundated with extreme views which either encourage our own bias or infuriate us beyond reason.&nbsp; Post facts, avoid click bait, seek to inform not to inflame and so on.&nbsp; Friends who do not abide by these suggestions may need to be blocked, not out of anger but simply to save intellectual effort and time for the facts we need to know. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">It is also helpful to show up in person whether it be to a protest or debate or town hall meeting. This is not easy for an introvert but as participant in the Women’s March, I was able to personally witness what it was about, who was there, and what was said rather than relying on reports about the event.&nbsp; Of course, even first hand witnessing is filtered through my own bias and point of view.&nbsp; For example, where others saw crude and vulgar signs, I saw parody and reappropriation of derogatory language and an attempt to remove shame connected with the female anatomy.&nbsp; Yet seeing things first hand gave me further information by which I could find validation or criticism for my point of view. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">However and wherever we engage in the duties of a citizen, it needs to be in a peaceful, respectful manner based firmly in compassion and logic.&nbsp; There has been a temptation in the last year to think people are ruled by fear and emotion rather than logic and therefore in order to get anywhere we need to engage in inflammatory or hyperbolic tactics.&nbsp; But there is a reason peaceful protests need to remain peaceful and there is a reason to adhere strictly to thoughtful, factual, and respectful dialogue.&nbsp; Those who fight injustice rarely can win with weapons of violence because injustice is undergirded by those in power who will likely have more and greater weapons of violence.&nbsp; Those who fight ignorance and hate can not afford to engage in hyperbole or emotional manipulation because the ignorant and the hate filled are not limited by such things as logic or truth.&nbsp; Michelle Obama is often quoted as saying, “When they go low, we go high.”&nbsp; This is not just a nice sentiment but also sound tactics.&nbsp; If responsible citizens go low, those ruled by ignorance and hate can always go lower. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">And those who fight for compassion and justice can always afford to go higher.&nbsp; For example, those concerned with diversity need to listen to those who criticize the Women’s March for not hearing the voices of women of color.&nbsp; While the diversity of voices chosen to speak at the marches was encouraging, still we can do better.&nbsp; We need to listen.&nbsp; When they go low, we not only go high but always strive to go higher still. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">Living in a democratic republic is not free from responsibilities.&nbsp; We would all do well to hold ourselves to higher standards.</span></span></div><style type="text/css">p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 13.0px} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} </style> <br /><div class="p1"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-24782137310709826552016-11-02T09:45:00.000-05:002016-11-02T09:45:06.940-05:00Beyond the Elections: Finding Hope in Deeper Conversations<div class="p1"><span class="s1">This election is stressing me out.&nbsp; I can’t watch television anymore.&nbsp; I am so discouraged to see neighbors ignoring the sexist and bigoted filth which has come from the mouth of one of the candidates.&nbsp; Yet I know my neighbors are good people and have their own reasons.&nbsp; To assume those reasons are shallow or ignorant is just not helpful.&nbsp; I find some comfort in reminding myself the outcome of the election simply tells all of us where next to direct our energies as we work for mercy, justice and compassion. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">But what has been most helpful to me is to do some reading and listening to deeper conversations.&nbsp; Conversations where people disagree but dialogue on a deeper level and with respect and seeking to understand.&nbsp; It helps me to think about underlying issues which go deeper than political party or religious affiliation.&nbsp; Here are some links to some conversations which I have found helpful and hopeful.&nbsp; Some are lengthy which just goes to show meaningful dialogue doesn’t fit in a meme.&nbsp; We are better than our recent political events show us to be.&nbsp; We are capable of beautiful, meaningful, and deep conversation and understanding.&nbsp; What has given you hope amidst this mess of an election?&nbsp; Share in the comments and I will continue to share hopeful and informative conversations as I find them.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s2"><a href="http://www.onbeing.org/program/david-brooks-and-ej-dionne-sinfulness-hopefulness-and-the-possibility-of-politics/transcript#main_content">http://www.onbeing.org/program/david-brooks-and-ej-dionne-sinfulness-hopefulness-and-the-possibility-of-politics/transcript#main_content</a></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s2"><a href="http://www.onbeing.org/program/natasha-trethewey-and-eboo-patel-how-to-live-beyond-this-election/9010">http://www.onbeing.org/program/natasha-trethewey-and-eboo-patel-how-to-live-beyond-this-election/9010</a></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">This one is a little different.&nbsp; It may not seem hopeful but it gets at deeper issues within the Christian church from an outside perspective.&nbsp; Listening to such perspectives is more hopeful to me than just yelling at each other.&nbsp; How does the way we express our beliefs leave us vulnerable to having different standards for those with power than those without power?&nbsp; Important question and more helpful than another meme.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_713766397"><span class="s1"></span><br /></a></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2016/10/donald-trump-and-the-way-evangelicals-talk-about-sin.html">http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2016/10/donald-trump-and-the-way-evangelicals-talk-about-sin.html</a></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">And finally, remembering there are other issues in our land besides the election and remembering the concerns of Native Americans,&nbsp; a quote from “Canaanites, Cowboys, and Indians” by</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Robert Warrior, <i>“No matter what we do, the conquest narratives will remain. As long</i></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>as people believe in the Yahweh of deliverance, the world will not be safe&nbsp;</i></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>from Yahweh the conqueror. But perhaps, if they are true to their struggle,</i></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>people will be able to achieve what Yahweh's chosen people in the</i></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>past have not; a society of people delivered from oppression who are not</i></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>so afraid of becoming victims again that they become oppressors themselves,</i></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>a society where the original inhabitants can become something</i></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>other than subjects to be converted to a better way of life or adversaries</i></span></div><style type="text/css">p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 13.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none} </style> <br /><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>who provide cannon fodder for a nation's militaristic pride.”&nbsp;</i></span></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-26714914090877974262016-10-16T12:59:00.003-05:002016-10-16T12:59:41.634-05:006 Positive Results of this Election<div class="p1">There has been great lamentation from all across the political spectrum about this year’s election.&nbsp; I have felt more sadness and anxiety in regards to this election than any other political event in my lifetime.&nbsp; Of late, though I have come to realize there can be some positive to be found even in the midst of this mess.&nbsp; Here are&nbsp;<b>6 Positive Results of the 2016 Election Year:</b></div><div class="p2"><b><span class="s1"></span></b></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>Future elections won’t seem so bad.</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;I hope.&nbsp;&nbsp;A few years ago, my area of the country had drought conditions for several years.&nbsp;&nbsp;I no longer stress out every time we go through a dry spell.&nbsp;&nbsp;If we are not looking at hauling water because of dried up ponds or feeding hay in the middle of summer because of dried up pastures, I know it is not so bad.&nbsp;&nbsp;Those years of drought gave me a whole new perspective on weather.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This year’s election has given a whole new perspective on politics.&nbsp;&nbsp;Even if I disagree with a candidate's policies on just about everything, if he or she is not a prejudiced, sexist, braggart, intentionally inflaming bigotry and completely unqualified for the position, I will know it could be worse and perhaps not worry quite so much.</div><div class="p2"><br /><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">2.&nbsp; <b>The importance of fact checking has become clear</b>.&nbsp; With the internet and social media, false information travels quickly and looks just as valid as factual information.&nbsp; “If it looks too good to be true it probably is” or gut reactions of “that can’t possibly be real,” are no longer enough. Information on the internet can look factual and real without having even a passing acquaintance with the truth.&nbsp; It behooves us to fact check before we believe what we read and certainly before we pass it on to others.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">3.&nbsp;<b>Our attention has been drawn to&nbsp;fact checking as an ethical responsibility.</b>&nbsp; Fact checking is not just about keeping ourselves appropriately informed.&nbsp; We need to also take a stand against the spreading of misinformation.&nbsp; If we do not take the time to fact check we enable those who spread misinformation in order to influence public opinion and public policy.&nbsp; It is also much more difficult to inflame prejudice against any population if one is forced to deal in facts.&nbsp; Believing anything which comes across our screens, without considering the facts, feeds the bullies of our world. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">4.&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>Racism, sexism, and ignorance present in our country have been exposed.&nbsp;</b>&nbsp;To be sure,&nbsp;I have been deeply saddened to hear crude racism come out of the mouths of my fellow citizens and out of the mouths of children as they echo what they hear in their communities and on TV.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;However, such racism was not born this election cycle.&nbsp; This election has stripped another layer of excuses away, increased awareness and may push us toward addressing the bigotry amongst us.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">5.&nbsp; <b>We have had opportunity to consider our partisanship and how far it goes.</b>&nbsp; I have done some soul searching about what I would do if the candidate I would normally support was inflaming prejudice, sexism, and hate.&nbsp; Could I get myself to vote for someone with whom I disagreed on most policy issues in order to take a stand against hate?&nbsp; I hope so. &nbsp;Perhaps I&nbsp;</span>am more likely to do so now that I have been forced to consider such things. &nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">6.&nbsp; <b>Credibility of the Christian faith has taken a huge hit.</b>&nbsp; This may not seem like I should think this a good thing but bear with me.&nbsp; When a large segment of the Christian church chose to support a contempt filled bigot and misogynist for the Republican party’s nomination, any claim to moral high ground for the Christian church was eroded badly to say the least.&nbsp; How is this good?&nbsp; It could serve as a much needed wake up call.&nbsp; This could serve to open our eyes to see that when people outside of the church talk about hypocrisy in the church they are not talking about Christians making mistakes or simply being flawed human beings.&nbsp; They are talking about a deep problem within the Christian church which allows hateful and prejudiced behavior to be justified or even encouraged all while we claim to be guided by love.&nbsp; I may not belong to the part of the church which supported the Republican nominee but the deeper problem is present throughout much, if not all, of the Christian church.&nbsp; There is much conversation and repentance needed and perhaps such will now begin. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><br /><div class="p1"><span class="s1">I would prefer things had gone differently than they have in our country this election year.&nbsp; But if we have to endure this election, perhaps some good can come from it yet.</span></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-86472403864526832622016-06-15T14:03:00.004-05:002016-06-15T14:03:43.033-05:00Don't Throw A Meme At It<div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">Some say the time following tragedies, like what happened in Orlando, is not the time to talk about political issues like gun control.&nbsp; There is some truth here.&nbsp; Tragedies should not be considered mere fodder to support one's own political opinion.&nbsp; However, following such a tragedy seems like an excellent time to thoughtfully consider and even debate various methods for preventing such a tragedy from happening again.&nbsp; Instead of such debates we launch simple minded memes and pictures and phrases at each other designed to provoke emotion or reinforce preconceived notions rather than producing thought. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">I implore you when tragedy strikes please do not throw a meme at it.&nbsp; In addition, I personally repent from liking memes and humorous quotations when they align with my political views or I think they are funny. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">Such simplistic slogans disrespect the victims of tragedy through over simplifying situations and acting as a barrier to real dialogue, real progress, real preventative actions.&nbsp; For example, pretending a shooter would have been just as lethal had he been armed with a rock is insulting to the victims and insulting to everyone’s intelligence.&nbsp; Simplifying past horrific events such as Wounded Knee to support your political agenda disrespects current and past victims.&nbsp; Rather we should be&nbsp; honoring current victims with in-depth consideration without minimizing the horrors of the deliberate, government instituted acts of genocide perpetrated against Native American people. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1">I am sure there are equally offensive and simplistic liberal postings but I don't recall seeing any, probably due to the area of the country in which I reside. &nbsp;Whatever your political leanings such posts are not helpful. &nbsp;<span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">I have been lucky thus far to be affected by gun violence only at a bit of a distance.&nbsp; The closest I have come was a friend of years gone by, <a href="https://themountainnewswa.net/2012/01/11/thousands-honor-nps-ranger-margaret-anderson-with-a-formal-law-enforcement-funeral/">Margaret Anderson</a>, who put her life between others and a gunman and was tragically killed.&nbsp; But even from my view point, if mindless memes were being cast about in regards to her death I would be sickened and angered and can only imagine the pain such would inflict upon her husband, her children, her parents. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><br /><div class="p2"><span class="s1">There is plenty of pain.&nbsp; We need not add to it.&nbsp; What is needed is thoughtful discussions honoring the depth of loss and seriously considering various actions to reduce the chances of such tragedy happening again. &nbsp;</span></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-31207800414450768952016-05-10T21:58:00.001-05:002016-05-10T21:58:42.493-05:00Remembering The Slave Girl<div class="p1"><span class="s1">I thought I would share the sermon I preached a few days ago. &nbsp;With recent political events, I feel like I have to say something. &nbsp;Perhaps there is a relevant tidbit or two in here:</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">In Acts 16 we read about a slave girl with the power of divination.&nbsp; We don’t know exactly what this means but we do know this power gives her owners some economic benefit.&nbsp; And we read this girl follows Paul and Silas and repeatedly proclaims them to be “slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.”&nbsp; This seems harmless enough but alas Paul finds these proclamations annoying and so he orders the spirit out of her.&nbsp; And that is all we are told about the slave girl.&nbsp; I find this troubling.&nbsp; Here is a girl, held as a slave, one of the most vulnerable in society, and Paul seems to give her no consideration other than removing the part of her which annoyed him.&nbsp; She is left with lowered value in the eyes of her owners but as far as we know still a slave, still at the mercy of these men whom we will find in the following verses to be completely without scruples or mercy. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">As I considered the seemingly gross injustice of the treatment of this girl, I tried to think of Jesus in this situation and tried to imagine him treating her so callously.&nbsp; And suddenly I realized this story reminded me of the story of the Syrophoenician&nbsp; woman.&nbsp; In the story of the Syrophoenician woman the woman begs for healing of her daughter and persists despite Jesus’ attitude of exhausted dismissal toward her pleas.&nbsp; It made me wonder if perhaps the slave girl had a purpose to her annoying proclamations.&nbsp; Perhaps she followed Paul and Silas hoping they would be worn down into seeing her plight and freeing her from the spirit within her.&nbsp; Perhaps there were things about her divination duties and the position they put her in which made her long for healing.&nbsp; Perhaps her cries were annoying to Paul because he felt called to heal her but knew to do so would be dangerous and so she persisted until Paul could resist no longer.&nbsp; For Jesus the Syrophoenician woman’s persistent and wise words moved him to act.&nbsp; For Paul it seems to be the sheer weight of annoyance. &nbsp; But this is all speculation since we know so little about the girl or the situation. Perhaps this girl’s slavery was being unfairly lengthened due to her economic usefulness, maybe the divinations were part of a larger illness.&nbsp; And it could be I am way off base, she didn’t want to be healed, lost her value to her owners and lived out a pitiful existence abandoned and alone.&nbsp; Whatever the case I feel it is my duty to honor her story by at least acknowledging that she had one. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">There is much to wonder about regarding the slave girl but the behavior of her owners seems pretty clear.&nbsp; Upset at their loss of profit, they slander Paul and Silas.&nbsp; They play upon the prejudices of the local populace and appeal to their patriotism in order to get what they want, revenge upon Paul and Silas.&nbsp; Prejudices are a reliable way to stir up violence and so Paul and Silas are arrested and beaten. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Phillipi was a place important to the Roman empire.&nbsp; Imperial power was strong in such a place and with many benefits but also ruthlessness.&nbsp; Seminary professor, Matthew Skinner points out the description of imperial rule which the story from Acts lays out for us:&nbsp; An empire which exploits the power of religion, and values people for their economic worth, skillfully uses scapegoating, utilizes violence and torture, and refuses to admit defeat. (from ON Scripture article)&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">So many of these imperial tactics are being paraded before our eyes this election season it is appalling.&nbsp; Obvious use of religion to manipulate is rampant.&nbsp; Scapegoating of refugees, muslims, undocumented immigrants, hispanics, transgendered people is just a tip of the iceberg. Calls to violence toward those who disagree have become common place.&nbsp; Refusal to ever admit any mistakes or wrongdoing regardless of the magnitude of the offense has become bread and butter of politics.&nbsp; Valuing people only for their economic worth has distorted our view of reality until someone who has benefited from privilege and power with every breath from the first moment of life can claim to be outside of the establishment and we buy it seemingly because of the economic power associated with a name. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">It is discouraging, depressing, appalling, and frightening.&nbsp; So, what can we do?&nbsp; We can remember the slave girl.&nbsp; We can commit to never forget she and people like her have stories.&nbsp; They are people of equal value to the more powerful of the world.&nbsp; We can work to lift up stories of the oppressed, those suffering from injustice and discrimination, the outcasts and the feared.&nbsp; We can value people just for being people, not for their economic status or how they can promote our own agendas.&nbsp; We can stalwartly resist violence in all its forms and remember honesty and repentance as virtuous acts.&nbsp; We can refuse to be silent in the face of hatred.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">We are not a people without hope.&nbsp; We are a people guided by love, healed by forgiveness, and called to be light in the darkness as was one who came before us, Jesus, our guide and our hope. Amen.</span></div><br /><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-6481701235343131792016-03-03T07:09:00.000-06:002016-03-03T07:09:01.384-06:00Think of the Children<div class="p1"><span class="s1">Lately the phrase “think of the children!” has come to mind a few times.&nbsp; Of course, this immediately makes me recall a Simpson’s episode in which a woman repeatedly shrieks “Think of the children!” and “Won’t someone please think of the children!”&nbsp; Ah, the Simpsons.&nbsp; Indeed such a cry can be a meaningless play on emotions, as it was intended to portray in the aforementioned episode but recently it seems to me thinking of the children might be an extremely helpful thing to do. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">One of the most obvious areas in which we need to “think of the children” is education.&nbsp; Slashing funding for public schools seems to be par for the course in many areas around the country.&nbsp; Legislatures are not content to limit themselves to cutting funding either.&nbsp; Mandates about curriculum,bonds, school boards have all been tossed about without any seeming understanding of what will even work let alone what will benefit children’s education.&nbsp; When it comes to education, thinking of our children should be the focus.&nbsp; It is what our teachers, principles, paras, aides, cooks, custodians and all other staff at our schools are engaged in throughout the school year.&nbsp; It is what will benefit our society, our legal system, and political system.&nbsp; Having educated citizens impacts nearly every aspect of our lives.&nbsp; Whether we have children ourselves or not, we all definitely need to “think of the children.”</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">We could also stand to “think of the children” when considering political campaigns.&nbsp; In this case, such thoughts might clarify what should be obvious to us anyway.&nbsp; Do we want national leaders who teach hatred?&nbsp; When we teach children how to be good citizens, how to be good neighbors, and so on do we tell them saying hateful, ignorant, and cruel things is okay as long as you are using “straight talk?” &nbsp; Do we teach our children basic decency and kindness is kowtowing to political correctness?&nbsp; It is frightening to think we might have to ban children from watching the President of the United States make a speech for fear children would copy his speech at school and end up in deep trouble.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><br /><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Let’s reign in our political bickering, divisiveness, and party loyalty.&nbsp; Please, think of the children.</span></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-86119300825790814362015-12-07T13:41:00.002-06:002015-12-07T13:41:47.929-06:00Preaching My Way Into HopeI have begun to despair lately. &nbsp;I have come to wonder if there is anything left to say which will have an affect on anyone who does not already agree with the speaker. &nbsp;We seem so divided, so fearful, so angry. &nbsp;This week I found myself writing a sermon which ended up being my own attempt to preach my way out of despair and back into hope. &nbsp;Thought I would share it in case others are feeling similarly. &nbsp;Here it is:<div><br /></div><div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px;">“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius…(Luke 3:1)”&nbsp; Thus the gospel reading begins by trumpeting the name of the emperor and follows with a litany of men of power: governors, rulers, high priests.&nbsp; Contrasted against this rapid fire list of the influential and the commanding, the word of God drops instead into the wilderness.&nbsp; The word of God comes from the mouth of John, preparing the way for Jesus with a call to repentance, a call to turn in a new direction. &nbsp; The word of God comes from the wilderness, not the temple made by human hands with ulterior motives.&nbsp; Not from the high priest whose religion is undermined by benefitting from the ways of the world.&nbsp; Mention of the wilderness brings forth many associations for people of Israel whose history is punctuated by difficult and dangerous journeys through the wilderness.&nbsp; The wilderness is often where the children of Abraham encounter God.&nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px;">Finding God in the wilderness rather than places of power ought to make some sense to us as well.&nbsp; After all, we do not come to be followers of Jesus as princes and princesses born into our faith through our ancestry nor by our own power.&nbsp; We come as children of God by God’s grace, by God’s love, welcomed home from our own wilderness wanderings and taken in and adopted by the power of love not inheritance or might.&nbsp; Sometimes we seem to forget this, calling this a Christian nation as though we have inherited some special treatment and privileges, as though the history of this nation is pristine and without sin.&nbsp; We are called to the wilderness, to turn away from worldly powers, away from prestige.&nbsp; We are called to repentance not recollections of some supposed glory days but remembering our own hardships and learned humility, recalling who we are, the wildernesses of our past, and what we have learned. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; min-height: 18px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">This time of year is a time of waiting.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We are waiting for God to show up.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Don’t get me wrong, I trust God is all around us and within us.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Yet my trust is hazy at times as it is felt dimly through the clamor of day to day life and hammered repeatedly by the despair,violence, and selfishness present in our world.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I long for God to show up in a way obvious even to my hazy sensibilities.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">This time of year such longing fits with the season.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We are awaiting God’s presence through a babe born in circumstances both extraordinary and oh so ordinary.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We are waiting for God to show up in new and unexpected places in that time when all things will be made new.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We are waiting for God to show up in our lives in a way which will renew our faith, our trust.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">But we are called to do more than just wait.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We are also called to turn in repentance.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We are called to turn toward those who speak truth whatever they look like.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Then it was camel’s hair clothing now it might be a hijab, a hoodie, or someone drenched in dirt and grime from a desperate journey fleeing a shattered homeland.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We are called to turn to the wilderness of the powerless, the impoverished, the broken, the wounded, the outcast, and hear their voices as fellow adopted children of God.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px;">If we listen to words bandied about on our televisions and computers, in our neighborhoods and stores, by politicians and reporters we will hear much fear.&nbsp; Certainly there is much in this time which is uncertain.&nbsp; But fear is rarely the source of good decision making.&nbsp; Time and again throughout scriptures God calls us to “be not afraid.”&nbsp; So, this season let us pray God will show up in a way that will rebuild our trust, our faith, and our hope.&nbsp; Let us pray this is not a trust which sits back and does nothing.&nbsp; Better yet, let us repent of apathetic trust, blind trust, trust which washes our hands of all responsibility beyond a few mumbled prayers.&nbsp; Let us repent and pray for a renewed trust and faithfulness which sees brothers and sisters not threats, which breathes in hope and steps forth in compassion, a stalwart faith which stands, struggles and fights alongside those in need.&nbsp; Let us pray for God to show up in the midst of our waiting and kindle within us anew a faith which lives out love.&nbsp; Come Lord Jesus.&nbsp; May it be so.&nbsp; Amen. &nbsp;</div></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-86544152215963890002015-11-11T12:56:00.000-06:002015-11-11T12:56:04.700-06:00Religion Interfering With Altruism?<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">There has been some mention, lately, of a study which showed children who are raised without religion tend to be more altruistic.&nbsp; The scientific validity of this study is uncertain but to me this is beside the point.&nbsp; The undertaking of such a study combined with the response to it calls to attention the number of people for whom this study would simply verify their own experiences with Christianity.&nbsp; For example, those who have been wounded by religion and those whose only exposure to religion is hate mongers who fill the media with the portrayal of an angry, judgmental, anti-homosexual, anti-sex, misogynistic, God with a persecution complex.&nbsp; For such people the idea religion might interfere with the development of altruism might seem rather obvious.&nbsp; As a person familiar with both the good and the bad of the church,&nbsp; even for me several reasons why religion might hamper altruism immediately sprang to mind.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">It seems to me the underlying problem which has created a church with a reputation quite out of tune with “they will know we are Christians by our love” is a view of Christianity which emphasizes obedience to God before love of neighbor.&nbsp; To many there seems to be no problem with such an approach but to me this seems highly unhealthy.&nbsp; If God is the God of love then obedience to God would be love of neighbor and anything which looks like blind obedience would be contrary to that love.&nbsp; In fact any God worthy of the label “God of love” and worthy of our faith would demand of us such a great commitment to loving one another that we would stand up <i>even to God</i>, for the sake of our brothers and sisters. &nbsp;</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are even scriptures which support this idea.&nbsp; Moses stands up to God for the sake of the people.&nbsp; Abraham stands up to God multiple times for the sake of Sodom.&nbsp; The Syrophoenician woman stands up to Jesus for the sake of her daughter.&nbsp; True, there are other scriptures which seem to demand blind obedience.&nbsp; But, if I have to choose between scriptures which portray God as a petty, fickle, arrogant jerk who demands obedience or God as one who calls us to stand up for justice, mercy, and peace then I think I will go with the latter.&nbsp; Because any God worthy of faith would rather we turn our back on God than we turn our backs on our brothers and sisters.&nbsp; God is God.&nbsp; God can take it.&nbsp; Our brothers and sisters need us.&nbsp; They need us to be a stalwart, persistent, and passionate voice for justice, mercy, and peace.&nbsp; They need our love.&nbsp; They need our action.&nbsp; And, for the sake of all that is holy, they need us so committed to love we would fight with all that is in us against the remotest possibility our religion might get in the way of teaching our children things like altruism and compassion. &nbsp;</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let us set aside defensiveness in favor of introspection and repentance.</span></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-54679608576044285372015-10-31T22:53:00.000-05:002015-10-31T22:53:39.221-05:00Reformation and Cultural Amnesia<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px;">In honor of Reformaion Day, I thought I would share my Reformation Sunday sermon. &nbsp;Happy Reformation Day/Halloween/All Saints/Dia de Los Muertos!<br /><br />“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ They answered him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone.’“ (John 8:31-33)</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; min-height: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px;">There are at least a couple of ways of looking at this passage, either of which paint it in somewhat of a humorous light.&nbsp; Possibly, Jewish leaders have forgotten their history and have disconnected themselves from the story of Israel as slaves in Egypt. Or, when Jesus talks about being slaves, they are thinking about their cultural context in which many worship and sacrifice to idols.&nbsp; Sometimes enslaved can refer to being enslaved to idols.&nbsp; Even in this interpretation these children of Abraham are practicing some selective memory since the history of Israel is not without its ventures into idolatry. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px;">As Americans, we have no room to scoff at these Jewish leaders’ historical amnesia.&nbsp; The land of the free and the home of the brave is also the land of the slave and the ransacked home of the victims of nearly genocidal systematic violence.&nbsp; The “good ole days” tended to be far from good for minorities and paradoxically perilous for both foreign immigrants and those original natives of this land.&nbsp; Yet we often practice cultural amnesia by lauding ourselves as fiercely independent pioneers who pulled ourselves up by the bootstraps completely ignoring all those shoeless folks we ground under our boot heels in the process. &nbsp; The church practices similar selective forgetfulness as we too often speak harshly of other faiths and ignore&nbsp; our own dark history from the crusades to our own Martin Luther’s anti-Semitism. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px;">And so it is not a stretch to hearken to the words of today’s gospel as if they were spoken to us.&nbsp; Jesus says, ”If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31) Lest we too protest we are slaves to none and nothing Jesus elaborates, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34) Even if we succumb to cultural amnesia and blindness to the contemporary sins of our nation, and the harmful actions of the church throughout history, personal failings confront us more directly.&nbsp; Who among us can even truly live up to the most essential tenet of our faith to love our neighbors as ourselves?&nbsp; Who among us can say, without a glimmer of a doubt, our beliefs and the actions based on those beliefs are right?&nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px;">Jesus tells us the truth will set us free.&nbsp; The truth of God’s love as revealed through Jesus, the truth of forgiveness and grace, sets us free to live and love boldly.&nbsp; We are set free from past mistakes.&nbsp; We are set free from concern for right belief.&nbsp; Freedom means we let go of concern for our own salvation, leaving such in the loving hands of God, so that we might see and serve our neighbor in need. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px;">Sometimes I despair at hearing Christians say heartless things in order to justify self-righteousness or inaction in the face of suffering.&nbsp; Freedom feels no need for self-righteousness because all has been made right through grace. &nbsp; Freedom does not seek an excuse for loving less because there is no need for excuses, no one keeping score, only forgiveness and growing in love.&nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px;">We will all make mistakes.&nbsp; We will all fall short some times.&nbsp; Martin Luther certainly did by falling into bigotry against Jewish people.&nbsp; But even this horrible sin did not define all of who he was.&nbsp; He was also a person with a particular message to deliver in a particular time in history.&nbsp; Just as all of us are.&nbsp; We each have a message to bring.&nbsp; Not all of our audiences will be so large as Luther’s, nor will we all use words. But we are free of our failings, free of our strivings, free to be a message of love delivered in our unique way in our unique moment in place and time. &nbsp;</div><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-71799913994946573612015-08-22T10:57:00.000-05:002015-08-22T13:13:30.626-05:00School Dress Codes: Good or Evil?<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">As we start back to school in this country there has been talk about school dress codes.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I am a bit conflicted about what I hear and read.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I hear a resistance to the sexualization of our young girls and a resistance to the clothing which proclaims that sexualization.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">This sounds good.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">On the other hand I hear a resistance to the idea girls should be ashamed of their bottoms, their boobs, their shoulders, and a resistance to the idea we should primarily be concerned about the distraction our girls might cause to boys.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">This makes sense to me as well.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I hear and read school staff reiterating the dress codes apply equally to males and females and I find this less than honest.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The codes might be written in a way which speaks equality but the truth is, the codes are far more frequently applied to females because they are far more likely to break the dress code.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Is this because our girls are naturally more disobedient?</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Is this because our girls feel the pull to be sexy more strongly?</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Are they more slutty than boys?</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Or is it because of aspects of our culture which sexualize our daughters more so than our sons and then shame them for the sexualization we have inflicted upon them? </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">&nbsp;</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">Obviously, I think the latter more likely.&nbsp; However, I am not sure it would be helpful for us to then acquiesce to the sexualization rampant in our culture and encourage girls to wear whatever society pressures them to wear.&nbsp; What if instead our dress codes became counter cultural rather than shaming?&nbsp; What if we re-articulate the reasoning behind our dress codes?&nbsp; Our dress codes need not be about distractions or shame.&nbsp; Rather let our dress codes be about valuing minds and healthy bodies and healthy sexuality with equal power, equal expectations for all.&nbsp; Our dress codes could seek to undermine the culture which exploits women and teaches men to consider women as objects of lust or shaming. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">My body is never merely a distraction to someone else.&nbsp; My body is an instrument of my power in the world.&nbsp; It is an agent of change.&nbsp; It is a conduit of my strength.&nbsp; It is my health.&nbsp; It is a vehicle for my agency as I work to make the world a better place.&nbsp; My body houses me and when it is healthy and strong I can better face the challenges of life and be a force for good.&nbsp; If our dress codes loudly and proudly proclaim this view of the bodies of our young men and women then they will address what is unhealthy in our society rather than shaming our young women for the consequences of that ill health.</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">A dress code might begin by saying “This school is an academic environment.&nbsp; We are here to learn from one another: students learn from staff, staff from students, and students learn from one another.&nbsp; In addition to academics, together we seek to help each other learn what is healthy and what is unhealthy, what is helpful and what is unhelpful.&nbsp; Certain aspects of our world encourage us to look at each other as sexual objects, to diminish our bodies to nothing more than what is sexy or pretty.&nbsp; In this place we see our bodies as vehicles of things such as health, strength, will, and mind.&nbsp; Our bodies are important for our health and our ability to act in this world.&nbsp; Therefore, we seek to dress in ways which counter the culture of over-sexualization.&nbsp; In order to better guide one another into a healthy view of our bodies and to act as agents of positive change in our society we adopt the following dress code….” &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">Our young people are thoughtful and vulnerable to the messages we send.&nbsp; It is not in their best interest for us to keep policies in place because that is the way it has always been done, or because it is more comfortable for the adults. &nbsp;<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">Our schools and the staff of the schools do a wonderful job of teaching and caring for our students.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">This is not meant as a criticism of them.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">&nbsp; </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">It just may be time we as a nation and communities rethink and articulate better reasoning for why we do what we do in regards to dress codes.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-88737634103851394142015-08-13T16:43:00.001-05:002015-08-13T16:43:38.041-05:00No More Pink and Blue? OH NO!<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Target recently announced it would be removing gender biased labeling from certain sections of their stores.&nbsp; I assumed this would be met with applause by those of us concerned with the effects of gender bias and the rest of the world wouldn’t notice.&nbsp; Much to my amazement the applause was present but also extreme anger and threats of boycott. &nbsp;</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have difficulty understanding why this would make anyone angry.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you think trucks are for boys and fashion dolls are for girls, do you really mean to tell me you can’t tell by looking which is which?&nbsp; You really need the pink and blue color coding and a sign delineating the girls’ section in order to figure it out? &nbsp;</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The only conclusion I can come to is that this is really a rebellion against political correctness.&nbsp; It is a rebellion against being told our words or our actions are offensive or biased.&nbsp; I understand it can be tedious to worry about offending others.&nbsp; It would be so much easier if we could all just say whatever is on our mind without thinking about anybody else.&nbsp; And, after all, that is a cherished Christian value.&nbsp; Scripture often tells us to say whatever comes to mind, for good or ill, and worry not for the feelings of our neighbor.&nbsp; Oh, wait….maybe that wasn’t it. &nbsp;</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” (Matthew 15:11) This is just one of several times when scripture talks about the importance of being careful of our words. &nbsp;</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If we think the hearts of our neighbors matter, if we think words have power, then it seems political correctness might not be the enemy. &nbsp; Laziness, indifference to the concerns of the outcast and the powerless, fear of change, these might be enemies more worthy of our time. &nbsp;</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to go gaze upon my daughters’ extensive building block collection and rejoice future parents might not have to work to convince their daughters it is okay to consider building blocks which aren’t pink and might even feature trucks and helicopters.&nbsp; May parents of all children experience similar liberation from the limitations we arbitrarily place upon children as if pink and blue gender coding is God ordained.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-4216161906372217322015-07-04T18:20:00.000-05:002015-07-04T18:20:01.265-05:00Confederate Flag, Dukes, and Compassion <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">I have pondered for several days my response to those who are defending the Confederate Flag and mourning the loss of the Dukes of Hazzard.&nbsp; After a bit of contemplation here is what I have to say:</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">Look, I fell in love with my first husband while he was wearing a Confederate Flag do-rag.&nbsp; I understand the symbol of rebellion thing.&nbsp; I understand the nod to history.&nbsp; I watched the Duke’s of Hazard as a kid.&nbsp; I understand they are just a couple of “good ole boys.” The thing is I have met a few people since then.&nbsp; I have heard stories from the hearts of my brothers and sisters of varying races, ethnicities and positions in life.&nbsp; Therefore, I have come to understand what I see as a symbol of rebellion might hold a different meaning to someone else.&nbsp; I have come to understand “good ole boys” sometimes use their “good ole boy” connections to maintain their position and power and money.&nbsp; They may be just helping out friends like “good ole boys” do.&nbsp; Yet the consequences are sexism, racism, classism, and a world which is far from the ideal of equal opportunity. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">I understand it is just a TV show.&nbsp; But, listen to that again: it is just a TV show.&nbsp; Doesn’t it seem like we ought to be able to let go of “just a TV show” even on the off chance it is sending a message of the acceptance of racism or hurting the hearts of our brothers and sisters? &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">Remember, racism isn’t just about people using the word “nigger” and hurting someone’s feelings.&nbsp; Racism is played out in ways which cause poverty and death.&nbsp; Do we really want to say: “I care about equality for all people unless it interrupts my TV viewing?”&nbsp; Do we really want to fly a flag just to prove we aren’t held back by political correctness when it might be communicating a message of hate or at least indifference to those who are suffering from racism?&nbsp; Consider if there was something threatening the lives of your children.&nbsp; How would it feel to you if someone said, “I don’t care if you say this symbol communicates support for this thing which is killing your children.&nbsp; I don’t think it has anything to do with that so I am going to wear this symbol loud and proud.&nbsp; Your children will probably be fine.&nbsp; See how I love them?”&nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">Pretty sure you would call B.S. on that.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-90640486403592222952015-06-27T17:22:00.001-05:002015-06-27T17:22:47.411-05:00 SCOTUS Ruling, Racism, and Loving One Another<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">What a week!&nbsp; Such a mixture of joy and sorrow.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">On a national level, that is.&nbsp; Here we just finished harvest. &nbsp;The predominate emotion in my home life is relief.&nbsp; Everyday life goes on even in the midst of the big events on a national scale. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">On a national level there are big events indeed. &nbsp;There is celebration and joy at the Supreme Court ruling which supports the right of same-gender couples to marry.&nbsp; There is sorrow as we lay to rest the victims of the shooting in Charleston and continue to wrestle with the causes and consequences of racial injustice. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">I also recognize the aforementioned Supreme Court ruling brought dismay to some of my neighbors.&nbsp; Those for whom such a ruling seems a violation of God’s law are expressing distress.&nbsp; I am sorry for your hurt though not for the ruling.&nbsp; This is not the time to argue with those feelings. Nor will I minimize your hurts and fears.</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">However, I do have a request as a fellow child of God: please avoid expressing your dismay in ways which spread further hate and claim it as love.&nbsp; Imagine your beloved, perhaps a spouse, came to you and said, “I love you…just like I love murderers, adulterers, and thieves.”&nbsp; Would you feel loved?&nbsp; Would this not be an expression of anger and perhaps even hatred merely masquerading as love?</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">If you would not speak so to your beloved then do not speak so to any of our brothers and sisters.&nbsp; We are called to love all people.&nbsp; And we are in this together.&nbsp; When any of us is poor, or a victim of violence, or treated unjustly, we are all in danger of poverty, violence, and injustice.&nbsp; Words of hatred have consequences. Sometimes those consequences are lethal, as they were in Charleston most recently. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">I would also ask we all refrain from expressing our discomfort at the racist reality played out in Charleston by discounting the experiences of our African American brothers and sisters.&nbsp; The bedrock of building a just world is listening to one another.&nbsp; Listening does not happen by defining other people’s experiences for them.&nbsp; Listening does not happen by avoiding truth. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">As brothers and sisters, we rejoice together and we grieve together and so often the two are intertwined.&nbsp; So, let us rejoice together with those rejoicing over the affirmation of their committed loving relationships while not forgetting those for whom this transition is difficult.&nbsp; Let us grieve with those laying to rest loved ones in Charleston while rejoicing in the call to reformation ringing across our country calling for an end to the injustice of racism.&nbsp; Let us rejoice, let us grieve, let us love one another with hearts open to the experiences of others and to acknowledging our own wrongdoing.&nbsp; Let us move toward justice for all people.&nbsp;</div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-39876990989413477352015-06-19T06:30:00.000-05:002015-06-19T07:09:53.939-05:00Grief and Patience with the Church<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">The world is filled with tragedy and heartbreak.&nbsp; From names near to home like Brandy, Browynn, and Kathryn to tragedy I only know from a distance in places such as Ferguson, Baltimore, and Charleston sorrow comes and words are inadequate.&nbsp; I have written in the past about what not to say to a grieving person but the list of things which are helpful to say is much shorter:&nbsp; “I am sorry.”&nbsp; “This sucks.”&nbsp; Share stories, tears, and laughter if you know the person well.&nbsp; Help in practical, concrete ways when you can.&nbsp; I wish there was more.&nbsp; I wish there were magic words. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">And then there is that crotchety voice in the back of my mind which reminds me some people may be shocked by the word “sucks.”&nbsp; Which leads me to want to respond with, “You’re right the word “sucks” is shocking.&nbsp; It is shockingly understated. &nbsp;A more appropriate response to those suffering grief and pain is, ‘It is fucking horrible what you are going through.’”&nbsp; Because one of the deep sins of many good people, particularly church people, is being more concerned with being polite than being real, more concerned with looking good than acting with compassion, more concerned with covering up pain than standing with those enduring it. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">I recall wandering around my apartment in a state of shock, many years ago, saying to myself, “I am 24 years old.&nbsp; I shouldn’t have to be dealing with this.”&nbsp; “This” being soul shaking grief and funeral arrangements for my husband.&nbsp; I said some version of this to God many times over the coming months and years.&nbsp; It has taken me more years to hear the answer.&nbsp; The answer seems to be, “The fact you can even be surprised by such grief means you live an incredible life of privilege.&nbsp; There are many who live surrounded by such pain.&nbsp; Do something about that.”&nbsp; God’s answer to me seems to fit right in with the cuddly God we read of in the scriptures for the coming Sunday when God responds to Job’s horrific ordeal with essentially, “shut up puny mortal,” and Jesus responds to the nearly drowned disciples with something near scorn.&nbsp; God can seem a jerk sometimes. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">But at least God mitigates his sometimes jerkiness by continuously calling us to do something about the pain in the world.&nbsp; The Christian church….&nbsp; Too often the church sits in the midst of agonizing pain and argues about marketing strategies.&nbsp; Too often the church hears the consequences of horrific injustice and bemoans low attendance.&nbsp; To often the church sits idly throwing flowery platitudes into the face of a tsunami of horrors and calls it faith.</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">Often people talk about experiencing tragedy or heartbreak and being stronger for it.&nbsp; There are ways in which this may be true.&nbsp; Less frequently does one hear about the casualties of such experiences: the scars which will not go away, the wounds which require exhausting battles in order to heal. (For those who are hurting and for whom these words may be difficult, I am sorry. I wish I could tell you it will be easy.)&nbsp; Sometimes one of the lighter casualties is one’s ability to tolerate bull.&nbsp; One of the forms this casualty takes for me is the loss of my patience with the church. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">The Christian church may be dwindling but we are still many in the USA.&nbsp; Just think of the difference we could make if we moved our focus from numbers in the pews to numbers suffering.&nbsp; Just think if we fought as hard against injustice as we do against the loss of our buildings.&nbsp; Imagine&nbsp; if we entered into the pain of others rather than using Jesus’ name to downplay it.&nbsp; Just imagine how much heartache could be repelled.&nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">So, I guess I will continue to search for ways and search for courage to do what God so harshly seems to be telling me to do: finding ways to do something about the suffering and injustice in the world.&nbsp;</div><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">I wish the church would more often join me. &nbsp;</div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-48733781660961383912015-06-05T09:32:00.002-05:002015-06-05T09:32:49.222-05:00Heroes: We Need Some Alternatives<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Recently there has been much publicity and controversy over a particular public figure (pun probably in bad taste but noted none the less.) &nbsp;The public unveiling of the new identity of a transgendered person has led to some interesting conversations. &nbsp;Effects of&nbsp;this event have run the gambit from positive increases of awareness to truly disturbing reinforcement of gender stereotyping and objectification of women (an excellent article on the latter can be read <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/opinion/the-price-of-jenners-heroism.html?_r=2">here</a>).</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The topic of transgendered people is one about&nbsp;which&nbsp;I am still learning and so it is best I listen instead of speak on this topic.&nbsp; However, within the good, the bad, and&nbsp;the general uproar, the topic of heroism has arisen.&nbsp; What I read in regards to heroism is troubling to me.&nbsp; Whether this particular person is a hero or not depends largely upon the definition of hero which one is using.&nbsp; The objections I read, though, offer up disturbing alternatives.&nbsp; The heroes lifted up fall into two categories: people who use weapons and people who play sports.&nbsp; Indeed some of these folks might be &nbsp;heroes, yet why such limited options?&nbsp; Is it merely coincidental these heroes come from fields where the male gender historically has dominated?&nbsp; There are so many more options.&nbsp; How about medical workers, educators, scientists, inventors, humanitarian aid workers, those who work to stop violence, and grassroots organizers? &nbsp;Surely the aforementioned sports and military&nbsp;heroes do often have inspiring stories of hardship and&nbsp;hardwork yet do we really believe no one else does? &nbsp;Humanitarian workers don't face hardship and sacrifice? &nbsp;Educators and scientists can't experience personal tragedy and overcome it? &nbsp;One might say, “but I don’t know the names of any of those people.”&nbsp; Exactly.&nbsp; Perhaps we should start celebrating, focusing upon, and encouraging our children toward a more diverse set of options for heroism. &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Despite some of the negatives of the recent media frenzy, considering our heretofore rather limited alternatives, there might be something to be said for celebrating someone who is daring to be different. &nbsp;</span></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-34868118467439294432015-05-21T06:30:00.000-05:002015-05-21T07:05:34.525-05:00If I Better Loved My Representatives<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">It is important for preachers to practice what they preach.&nbsp; A few weeks ago I preached about the church’s calling to love one another.&nbsp; Jesus calls us to love one another as he loved us and then he loved us so much he sacrificed his life for us.&nbsp; I invited us all to think about someone we love deeply enough we would be willing to die for him/her.&nbsp; Then we considered what it would look life if we loved all people with that kind of love. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">There is no way I can do that.&nbsp; And I acknowledged in my sermon that none of us can.&nbsp; Yet we are called to work toward deeper love for all people. &nbsp;Reflecting upon my own words, it occurred to me deeper love for all people includes those who anger us.&nbsp; So, I asked myself how I could more deeply love my governor and representatives.&nbsp; How would I respond if someone for whom I would die were behaving in the ways they are behaving?&nbsp; I decided I might start by giving that person the benefit of the doubt and treating such a person as though he/she believed his/her own words. &nbsp;Then, I might kindly and gently attempt to help my beloved understand the consequences of his/her actions.&nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">If I gave my representatives such a benefit of the doubt I would have to consider that they believe they actually are increasing funding for schools, that they believe tax cuts benefit all Kansans, that they care more about doing what is right, just and compassionate than advancing their own interests. &nbsp;If I gave such a generous benefit of the doubt, then what would I say?&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">I would beseech them to visit schools.&nbsp; Talk to teachers and hear the challenges they face.&nbsp; Sit in a classroom long enough the students and teacher forget anyone is there.&nbsp; Witness the wonderful and difficult work teachers are doing.&nbsp; Talk with principals and superintendents to hear the budget challenges schools face. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">I would plead they sit with the poor and hear the struggles of poverty.&nbsp; Listen to the stories of those living in poverty. &nbsp; Hear their hopes and dreams. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">Then I would try to talk to my representatives in language with which they are comfortable by appealing to their business sense.&nbsp; I would point out quality education is great for economic growth.&nbsp; I would draw their attention to the way in which block funding removes incentives for schools to perform their best when attracting additional students does not increase funding.&nbsp; Would any business function best when producing more, higher quality product meant increased expenses but not increased income? &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">If I could move myself to love my representatives more deeply, it might look something like the above.&nbsp; So, I will try to set aside snark and anger and compose a letter or two along these lines. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div>‘Cause something’s gotta change and maybe, first, it is me. Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-74373019001249850722015-04-09T06:23:00.002-05:002015-04-09T06:23:23.316-05:00An Open Letter to Kansas Legislators and Kansas Voters<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">An Open Letter to Kansas Legislators and Kansas Voters,</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">Writing an open letter is not something I would often do. &nbsp;However,&nbsp;since direct letters to legislators have had no response and conversation about such issues is important, I thought this might be the best way to go. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">I always try to understand controversy from perspectives which differ from my own.&nbsp; I want to be able to understand opposing views even if I find them unpersuasive.&nbsp; So, I have contemplated the issue of threats to school financing from a point of view more conservative and more Republican than my own.&nbsp; It is difficult to understand when it seems so clear to me future cuts to our school budgets will not benefit our children and will further disrespect and bring hardship to the teachers who are pouring their hearts and long hours of work into our children's education. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">But, I try to understand.&nbsp; It seems the argument goes something like this: the tax cuts which have brought about our current revenue shortage will eventually improve our economy tremendously and are therefore worth our current hardships for the sake of future benefit.&nbsp; Even if I thought this was a likely possibility, our own governor has referred to this as an experiment.&nbsp; One might venture to call it a gamble since there is no way to be certain such an economic upswing will occur.&nbsp; So, here is what I want to say to those who are supporting such a gamble:<i> it is not your money with which to gamble.&nbsp;</i> This money which you would cut from the budget of schools to support your economic agenda belongs to our children.&nbsp; It is their education, their future with which you are gambling. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">Investing in education affects everything from the economy, to crime, to health care and beyond.&nbsp; Furthermore, consider many of us will grow older.&nbsp; Eventually today’s students will be our doctors, architects, and engineers.&nbsp; In the future when you get cancer, build a house, or drive across a bridge, their education will have crucial relevance to you. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">“But,” you might say, “the school financing formula was too complex and needed reform.&nbsp; We are not really cutting school funding, we are just reforming the way it is done.” &nbsp; Two years from now this could possibly be a legitimate argument.&nbsp; However, as it stands we are replacing the school financing formula with a temporary system which has not been appropriately researched and has not had the input of experts, or educators, or students, or parents.&nbsp; It is intended to be temporary until such research can be done.&nbsp; The logic eludes me.&nbsp; If my washing machine is functional but not to my liking I do not throw it out and wash my clothes in the river for two years while I research the purchase of a new one. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">So, to my fellow voters: Please, think it through and if you come to disagree with the way our legislators are handling school financing, let them know.&nbsp; I am a liberal in a “red” state.&nbsp; They don’t care what I have to say.&nbsp; Maybe they will listen to you.</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;"><br /></div><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">To my legislators: Get your hands off of our children’s money.&nbsp; Find a way to fund your “experiment” which doesn’t hurt children, or the poor, or the vulnerable.&nbsp; If you can’t find another way then take responsibility and repeal the tax cuts. &nbsp;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">A Concerned Citizen,</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">Sheri Ellwood</div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-72573634179458810992015-03-26T07:00:00.000-05:002015-03-26T07:00:08.708-05:00Lenten Truth Facing Week 6: The Church Taking Responsibility<div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">Here is the final week's Lenten Truth Facing as we will soon enter into Holy Week. &nbsp;If you missed the last few weeks, a summary is below.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Week 6:&nbsp; The problems of the Christian church cannot be blamed on those outside of the Christian church.&nbsp; The church is not in decline because it is under attack from secularism.&nbsp; The church is not in decline because of the latest generation’s messed up priorities.&nbsp; It is possible the church is in decline to make room for some new way of God at work in the world.&nbsp; It is also possible the problem is within the church itself.&nbsp; It is even possible some of the things you like best about church are unhealthy.&nbsp; Consider what within the church might be getting in the way of the church being God’s love at work in the world.&nbsp; Face the truth of problems within the church.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What are other areas where the Christian church avoids the truth?</span><br /><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="post-header" style="color: #999999; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5767485436502419079" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 578px;"><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="s1">A review of past weeks:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><b style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;</b></span></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2290558911757741362" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 578px;"><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In preparation for Ash Wednesday I wrote these words: “It is easy for Christianity to dissolve into platitudes.&nbsp; What is intended to be about speaking hope can become dodging reality.&nbsp; We speak platitudes to diminish the pain of others.&nbsp; We speak platitudes to run away from our doubts.&nbsp; But tonight we stand boldly on the edge of the abyss, acknowledging our faith does not prevent death.&nbsp; We stand on the edge of the abyss with nothingness spread out before us and proclaim there is hope to be found even here.”</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It did my heart good to think about the church boldly facing reality.&nbsp; But it lead me to wonder at how many ways we, the church, fail to face reality or even do things which intentionally obscure reality.&nbsp; How do we use faith to avoid uncomfortable truth?&nbsp; How does such behavior damage any credibility the church might have and get in the way of being love and justice in the world?&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I propose a different Lenten discipline: each week of Lent let’s face honestly a new truth about church, faith or life.&nbsp; Such as:&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Week 1:</b>&nbsp; Speak honestly about someone else’s pain.&nbsp; I don’t mean tell someone else how they feel, but resist temptation to minimize someone else’s pain.&nbsp; We use our religion to minimize the pain of others all the time.&nbsp; We use euphemisms and platitudes.&nbsp; We talk about faith as though it is proof against pain.&nbsp; We talk about ministry as though it is a prize for suffering.&nbsp; This week, pay attention to how you react to other people’s difficulties.&nbsp; At least once, respond to someone by frankly acknowledging hurt without any caveats or comforts.&nbsp; Resist using phrases like “passed away” “with the angels” or describing how God is at work.&nbsp; Say something like “I am sorry he died” or “that sucks” or “how awful” or just “I am sorry.”&nbsp; Listen without fixing or comforting.&nbsp; Face the brutal reality of suffering in this world.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Week 2:</b><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Face honestly the limits of faith.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Being a Christian does not mean we know what happens after we die.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It does not mean we have an answer for everything.&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It does not mean certainty about anything.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It does not mean we know exactly what God wants us to do with our lives.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It is perfectly possible to have great faith in something and be absolutely flat out wrong.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Think through your own personal creeds and beliefs and callings and consider the possibility you might be wrong about any of them.&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Talk with a friend about one thing you feel sure about and then ponder together what it would mean if the opposite were true.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Face the truth you might be wrong.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white;"><div style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Week 3</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">: Recognize Christian does not necessarily equal good person (meaning moral/kind/etc.).&nbsp; Professing faith in Jesus does not make one immune to doing bad things.&nbsp; Atheism or following some other faith does not mean one is incapable of doing quite wonderful and moral things.&nbsp; Purge “he/she is a good Christian” from your vocabulary when the phrase is intended to mean the same thing as being a good/moral person.&nbsp; “Good Christian” and “good person” are not synonyms.&nbsp; No dodges by saying “if a person were a true Christian than he/she would be good.”&nbsp; Whose definition of “true Christian?”&nbsp; If we had such an objective definition, how would one ever know someone else’s heart and behavior were truly “true?”&nbsp; Assuming someone is trustworthy because they attend church or say God words is a recipe for disaster.&nbsp; Think about someone about whom you have made assumptions based on their God talk or coarse language, church attendance or lack there of, and reconsider. &nbsp; Face the truth “Christian” is not synonymous with “good”.</span></div><div style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Week 4:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prayer is a mystery.&nbsp; We do not know how, when, or even if prayer works.&nbsp; We may trust in the power of prayer or hope in prayer&nbsp; or find prayer personally beneficial but we do not know that prayers are ever answered. You can fancy dance all you want with “sometimes the answer is no” or “if it is according to God’s will” or&nbsp; “prayer is about changing the heart of the one praying.”&nbsp; The first is nonsensical, the second says God will answer prayers if God was already going to do it anyway, and the third seems like prayer as cosmic biofeedback.&nbsp; The reality is all those are just another way of saying we don’t know how or if prayer works.&nbsp; This is important because it is true and also because without this humility about prayer the words “I am praying for you” can sound empty, condescending, or judgmental.&nbsp; They can also be a convenient way of avoiding getting off our hind-ends and doing something. &nbsp; We can trust in prayer.&nbsp; We can hope in prayer.&nbsp; But prayer is another thing we need to be brutally honest about.&nbsp; Think of one thing you would have prayed about this week and do something about it instead.&nbsp; Face the truth we don’t know the truth about prayer.</span></div><div style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Week 5: Christian faith is not a good basis for government.&nbsp; As Christians we are to love all our neighbors, even the non-Christian ones.&nbsp; Governing according to our faith, which some of our neighbors do not share, amounts to silencing them, ignoring their voices, ignoring their wants and needs, in general, not loving them.&nbsp; When it comes to government and public discourse, reasoning needs to come from another source.&nbsp; Your faith will inform your stance on various issues but your reasoning for public policy cannot rest solely on religious beliefs without excluding much of the population from the discussion.&nbsp; Reconsider your political opinions to look for reasoning which people of another faith or no faith could find persuasive.&nbsp; Face the truth our world should not be ruled by Christianity.</span></div><br /><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2290558911757741362" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: black; font-family: Times; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;"><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></div></div><br /><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div style="font-size: 16.3349990844727px; line-height: 1.4;"></div></div></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-64497326561166350552015-03-19T08:14:00.000-05:002015-03-19T08:14:40.897-05:00Lenten Truth Facing Week 5: Government<div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px;">Here is this week's Lenten Truth Facing. &nbsp;If you missed the last few weeks, a summary is below.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">Week 5: Christian faith is not a good basis for government (nor is any religion).&nbsp; As Christians we are to love all our neighbors, even the non-Christian ones.&nbsp; Governing according to our faith, which some of our neighbors do not share, amounts to silencing them, ignoring their voices, ignoring their wants and needs... in general, not loving them.&nbsp; When it comes to government and public discourse, reasoning needs to come from another source.&nbsp; Your faith will inform your stance on various issues but your reasoning for public policy cannot rest solely on religious beliefs without excluding much of the population from the discussion.&nbsp; Reconsider your political opinions to look for reasoning which people of another faith or no faith could find persuasive.&nbsp; Face the truth our world should not be ruled by Christianity</span>.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5767485436502419079" itemprop="description articleBody" style="line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;"><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><br /></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2290558911757741362" itemprop="description articleBody" style="line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;"><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></div><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="s1">A review of past weeks:</span><b style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;</b></div><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16.3349990844727px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">In preparation for Ash Wednesday I wrote these words: “It is easy for Christianity to dissolve into platitudes.&nbsp; What is intended to be about speaking hope can become dodging reality.&nbsp; We speak platitudes to diminish the pain of others.&nbsp; We speak platitudes to run away from our doubts.&nbsp; But tonight we stand boldly on the edge of the abyss, acknowledging our faith does not prevent death.&nbsp; We stand on the edge of the abyss with nothingness spread out before us and proclaim there is hope to be found even here.”</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16.3349990844727px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16.3349990844727px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">It did my heart good to think about the church boldly facing reality.&nbsp; But it lead me to wonder at how many ways we, the church, fail to face reality or even do things which intentionally obscure reality.&nbsp; How do we use faith to avoid uncomfortable truth?&nbsp; How does such behavior damage any credibility the church might have and get in the way of being love and justice in the world?&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16.3349990844727px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16.3349990844727px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">So, I propose a different Lenten discipline: each week of Lent let’s face honestly a new truth about church, faith or life.&nbsp; Such as:&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16.3349990844727px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>Week 1:</b>&nbsp; Speak honestly about someone else’s pain.&nbsp; I don’t mean tell someone else how they feel, but resist temptation to minimize someone else’s pain.&nbsp; We use our religion to minimize the pain of others all the time.&nbsp; We use euphemisms and platitudes.&nbsp; We talk about faith as though it is proof against pain.&nbsp; We talk about ministry as though it is a prize for suffering.&nbsp; This week, pay attention to how you react to other people’s difficulties.&nbsp; At least once, respond to someone by frankly acknowledging hurt without any caveats or comforts.&nbsp; Resist using phrases like “passed away” “with the angels” or describing how God is at work.&nbsp; Say something like “I am sorry he died” or “that sucks” or “how awful” or just “I am sorry.”&nbsp; Listen without fixing or comforting.&nbsp; Face the brutal reality of suffering in this world.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16.3349990844727px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Week 2:</b><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Face honestly the limits of faith.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Being a Christian does not mean we know what happens after we die.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It does not mean we have an answer for everything.&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It does not mean certainty about anything.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It does not mean we know exactly what God wants us to do with our lives.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It is perfectly possible to have great faith in something and be absolutely flat out wrong.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Think through your own personal creeds and beliefs and callings and consider the possibility you might be wrong about any of them.&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Talk with a friend about one thing you feel sure about and then ponder together what it would mean if the opposite were true.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Face the truth you might be wrong.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 16.3349990844727px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>Week 3</b>: Recognize Christian does not necessarily equal good person (meaning moral/kind/etc.).&nbsp; Professing faith in Jesus does not make one immune to doing bad things.&nbsp; Atheism or following some other faith does not mean one is incapable of doing quite wonderful and moral things.&nbsp; Purge “he/she is a good Christian” from your vocabulary when the phrase is intended to mean the&nbsp;</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px;">&nbsp;same thing as being a good/moral person.&nbsp; “Good Christian” and “good person” are not synonyms.&nbsp; No dodges by saying “if a person were a true Christian than he/she would be good.”&nbsp; Whose definition of “true Christian?”&nbsp; If we had such an objective definition, how would one ever know someone else’s heart and behavior were truly “true?”&nbsp; Assuming someone is trustworthy because they attend church or say God words is a recipe for disaster.&nbsp; Think about someone about whom you have made assumptions based on their God talk or coarse language, church attendance or lack there of, and reconsider. &nbsp; Face the truth “Christian” is not synonymous with “good”</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20px;">.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; line-height: 25px;">Week 4: Prayer is a mystery.&nbsp; We do not know how, when, or even if prayer works.&nbsp; We may trust in the power of prayer or hope in prayer&nbsp; or find prayer personally beneficial but we do not know that prayers are ever answered. You can fancy dance all you want with “sometimes the answer is no” or “if it is according to God’s will” or&nbsp; “prayer is about changing the heart of the one praying.”&nbsp; The first is nonsensical, the second says God will answer prayers if God was already going to do it anyway, and the third seems like prayer as cosmic biofeedback.&nbsp; The reality is all those are just another way of saying we don’t know how or if prayer works.&nbsp; This is important because it is true and also because without this humility about prayer the words “I am praying for you” can sound empty, condescending, or judgmental.&nbsp; They can also be a convenient way of avoiding getting off our hind-ends and doing something. &nbsp; We can trust in prayer.&nbsp; We can hope in prayer.&nbsp; But prayer is another thing we need to be brutally honest about.&nbsp; Think of one thing you would have prayed about this week and do something about it instead.&nbsp; Face the truth we don’t know the truth about prayer.</span></span></div><div style="font-size: 16.3349990844727px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div></div></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-57674854365024190792015-03-13T12:42:00.000-05:002015-03-13T12:42:09.642-05:00Lenten Truth Facing Week 4: Prayer<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is this week's Lenten Truth Facing. &nbsp;If you missed the last few weeks, a summary is below.</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Week 4: Prayer is a mystery.&nbsp; We do not know how, when, or even if prayer works.&nbsp; We may trust in the power of prayer or hope in prayer&nbsp; or find prayer personally beneficial but we do not know that prayers are ever answered. You can fancy dance all you want with “sometimes the answer is no” or “if it is according to God’s will” or&nbsp; “prayer is about changing the heart of the one praying.”&nbsp; The first is nonsensical, the second says God will answer prayers if God was already going to do it anyway, and the third seems like prayer as cosmic biofeedback.&nbsp; The reality is all those are just another way of saying we don’t know how or if prayer works.&nbsp; This is important because it is true and also because without this humility about prayer the words “I am praying for you” can sound empty, condescending, or judgmental.&nbsp; They can also be a convenient way of avoiding getting off our hind-ends and doing something. &nbsp; We can trust in prayer.&nbsp; We can hope in prayer.&nbsp; But prayer is another thing we need to be brutally honest about.&nbsp; Think of one thing you would have prayed about this week and do something about it instead.&nbsp; Face the truth we don’t know the truth about prayer.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><br /></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2290558911757741362" itemprop="description articleBody" style="line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;"><div class="p1" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="s1">A review of past weeks:</span><b style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;</b></div><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In preparation for Ash Wednesday I wrote these words: “It is easy for Christianity to dissolve into platitudes.&nbsp; What is intended to be about speaking hope can become dodging reality.&nbsp; We speak platitudes to diminish the pain of others.&nbsp; We speak platitudes to run away from our doubts.&nbsp; But tonight we stand boldly on the edge of the abyss, acknowledging our faith does not prevent death.&nbsp; We stand on the edge of the abyss with nothingness spread out before us and proclaim there is hope to be found even here.”</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It did my heart good to think about the church boldly facing reality.&nbsp; But it lead me to wonder at how many ways we, the church, fail to face reality or even do things which intentionally obscure reality.&nbsp; How do we use faith to avoid uncomfortable truth?&nbsp; How does such behavior damage any credibility the church might have and get in the way of being love and justice in the world?&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">So, I propose a different Lenten discipline: each week of Lent let’s face honestly a new truth about church, faith or life.&nbsp; Such as:&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Week 1:</b>&nbsp; Speak honestly about someone else’s pain.&nbsp; I don’t mean tell someone else how they feel, but resist temptation to minimize someone else’s pain.&nbsp; We use our religion to minimize the pain of others all the time.&nbsp; We use euphemisms and platitudes.&nbsp; We talk about faith as though it is proof against pain.&nbsp; We talk about ministry as though it is a prize for suffering.&nbsp; This week, pay attention to how you react to other people’s difficulties.&nbsp; At least once, respond to someone by frankly acknowledging hurt without any caveats or comforts.&nbsp; Resist using phrases like “passed away” “with the angels” or describing how God is at work.&nbsp; Say something like “I am sorry he died” or “that sucks” or “how awful” or just “I am sorry.”&nbsp; Listen without fixing or comforting.&nbsp; Face the brutal reality of suffering in this world.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Week 2:</b><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Face honestly the limits of faith.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Being a Christian does not mean we know what happens after we die.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It does not mean we have an answer for everything.&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It does not mean certainty about anything.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It does not mean we know exactly what God wants us to do with our lives.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It is perfectly possible to have great faith in something and be absolutely flat out wrong.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Think through your own personal creeds and beliefs and callings and consider the possibility you might be wrong about any of them.&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Talk with a friend about one thing you feel sure about and then ponder together what it would mean if the opposite were true.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Face the truth you might be wrong.</span><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Week 3</b>: Recognize Christian does not necessarily equal good person (meaning moral/kind/etc.).&nbsp; Professing faith in Jesus does not make one immune to doing bad things.&nbsp; Atheism or following some other faith does not mean one is incapable of doing quite wonderful and moral things.&nbsp; Purge “he/she is a good Christian” from your vocabulary when the phrase is intended to mean the same thing as being a good/moral person.&nbsp; “Good Christian” and “good person” are not synonyms.&nbsp; No dodges by saying “if a person were a true Christian than he/she would be good.”&nbsp; Whose definition of “true Christian?”&nbsp; If we had such an objective definition, how would one ever know someone else’s heart and behavior were truly “true?”&nbsp; Assuming someone is trustworthy because they attend church or say God words is a recipe for disaster.&nbsp; Think about someone about whom you have made assumptions based on their God talk or coarse language, church attendance or lack there of, and reconsider. &nbsp; Face the truth “Christian” is not synonymous with “good”.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-22905589117577413622015-03-05T07:00:00.000-06:002015-03-05T07:00:06.279-06:00Lenten Truth Facing Week 3: No Monopoly On Goodness<br /><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is this week's Lenten Truth Facing. &nbsp;If you missed the last few weeks, a summary is below.</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">Week 3: Recognize Christian does not necessarily equal good person (meaning moral/kind/etc.).&nbsp; Professing faith in Jesus does not make one immune to doing bad things.&nbsp; Atheism or following some other faith does not mean one is incapable of doing quite wonderful and moral things.&nbsp; Purge “he/she is a good Christian” from your vocabulary when the phrase is intended to mean the same thing as being a good/moral person.&nbsp; “Good Christian” and “good person” are not synonyms.&nbsp; No dodges by saying “if a person were a true Christian than he/she would be good.”&nbsp; Whose definition of “true Christian?”&nbsp; If we had such an objective definition, how would one ever know someone else’s heart and behavior were truly “true?”&nbsp; Assuming someone is trustworthy because they attend church or say God words is a recipe for disaster.&nbsp; Think about someone about whom you have made assumptions based on their God talk or coarse language, church attendance or lack there of, and reconsider. &nbsp; Face the truth “Christian” is not synonymous with “good”.</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="s1">A review of past weeks:</span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;</b></span></div><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">In preparation for Ash Wednesday I wrote these words: “It is easy for Christianity to dissolve into platitudes.&nbsp; What is intended to be about speaking hope can become dodging reality.&nbsp; We speak platitudes to diminish the pain of others.&nbsp; We speak platitudes to run away from our doubts.&nbsp; But tonight we stand boldly on the edge of the abyss, acknowledging our faith does not prevent death.&nbsp; We stand on the edge of the abyss with nothingness spread out before us and proclaim there is hope to be found even here.”</span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It did my heart good to think about the church boldly facing reality.&nbsp; But it lead me to wonder at how many ways we, the church, fail to face reality or even do things which intentionally obscure reality.&nbsp; How do we use faith to avoid uncomfortable truth?&nbsp; How does such behavior damage any credibility the church might have and get in the way of being love and justice in the world?&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">So, I propose a different Lenten discipline: each week of Lent let’s face honestly a new truth about church, faith or life.&nbsp; Such as:&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Week 1:</b>&nbsp; Speak honestly about someone else’s pain.&nbsp; I don’t mean tell someone else how they feel, but resist temptation to minimize someone else’s pain.&nbsp; We use our religion to minimize the pain of others all the time.&nbsp; We use euphemisms and platitudes.&nbsp; We talk about faith as though it is proof against pain.&nbsp; We talk about ministry as though it is a prize for suffering.&nbsp; This week, pay attention to how you react to other people’s difficulties.&nbsp; At least once, respond to someone by frankly acknowledging hurt without any caveats or comforts.&nbsp; Resist using phrases like “passed away” “with the angels” or describing how God is at work.&nbsp; Say something like “I am sorry he died” or “that sucks” or “how awful” or just “I am sorry.”&nbsp; Listen without fixing or comforting.&nbsp; Face the brutal reality of suffering in this world.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b style="font-size: small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Week 2:</b><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Face honestly the limits of faith.</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Being a Christian does not mean we know what happens after we die.</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It does not mean we have an answer for everything.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It does not mean certainty about anything.</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It does not mean we know exactly what God wants us to do with our lives.</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It is perfectly possible to have great faith in something and be absolutely flat out wrong.</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Think through your own personal creeds and beliefs and callings and consider the possibility you might be wrong about any of them.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Talk with a friend about one thing you feel sure about and then ponder together what it would mean if the opposite were true.</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Face the truth you might be wrong.</span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-15598604089188550602015-02-26T07:00:00.000-06:002015-02-26T07:05:51.881-06:00Lenten Truth Facing Week 2: Lack of Certainty <div class="p1"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is week 2 of Lenten Truth Facing. &nbsp;I have proposed the Lenten discipline of facing a new truth about faith or life each week. &nbsp;If you missed last week or want to review, I have included last week's post below. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><b style="font-size: x-large;">Week 2:</b><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: large;">Face honestly the limits of faith.</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: large;">Being a Christian does not mean we know what happens after we die.</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: large;">It does not mean we have an answer for everything. </span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: large;">It does not mean certainty about anything.</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: large;">It does not mean we know exactly what God wants us to do with our lives.</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: large;">It is perfectly possible to have great faith in something and be absolutely flat out wrong.</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: large;">Think through your own personal creeds and beliefs and callings and consider the possibility you might be wrong about any of them. </span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: large;">Talk with a friend about one thing you feel sure about and then ponder together what it would mean if the opposite were true.</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: large;">Face the truth you might be wrong.</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Last week's post: &nbsp; In preparation for Ash Wednesday I wrote these words: “It is easy for Christianity to dissolve into platitudes.&nbsp; What is intended to be about speaking hope can become dodging reality.&nbsp; We speak platitudes to diminish the pain of others.&nbsp; We speak platitudes to run away from our doubts.&nbsp; But tonight we stand boldly on the edge of the abyss, acknowledging our faith does not prevent death.&nbsp; We stand on the edge of the abyss with nothingness spread out before us and proclaim there is hope to be found even here.”</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">It did my heart good to think about the church boldly facing reality.&nbsp; But it lead me to wonder at how many ways we, the church, fail to face reality or even do things which intentionally obscure reality.&nbsp; How do we use faith to avoid uncomfortable truth?&nbsp; How does such behavior damage any credibility the church might have and get in the way of being love and justice in the world?&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">So, I propose a different Lenten discipline: each week of Lent let’s face honestly a new truth about church, faith or life.&nbsp; Such as:&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><br /><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Week 1:&nbsp; Speak honestly about someone else’s pain.&nbsp; I don’t mean tell someone else how they feel, but resist temptation to minimize someone else’s pain.&nbsp; We use our religion to minimize the pain of others all the time.&nbsp; We use euphemisms and platitudes.&nbsp; We talk about faith as though it is proof against pain.&nbsp; We talk about ministry as though it is a prize for suffering.&nbsp; This week, pay attention to how you react to other people’s difficulties.&nbsp; At least once, respond to someone by frankly acknowledging hurt without any caveats or comforts.&nbsp; Resist using phrases like “passed away” “with the angels” or describing how God is at work.&nbsp; Say something like “I am sorry he died” or “that sucks” or “how awful” or just “I am sorry.”&nbsp; Listen without fixing or comforting.&nbsp; Face the brutal reality of suffering in this world.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><br /></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-60580432952162160822015-02-20T07:29:00.000-06:002015-02-20T07:29:56.527-06:00Lenten Truth Facing and Death<div class="p1"><span class="s1">In preparation for Ash Wednesday I wrote these words: “It is easy for Christianity to dissolve into platitudes.&nbsp; What is intended to be about speaking hope can become dodging reality.&nbsp; We speak platitudes to diminish the pain of others.&nbsp; We speak platitudes to run away from our doubts.&nbsp; But tonight we stand boldly on the edge of the abyss, acknowledging our faith does not prevent death.&nbsp; We stand on the edge of the abyss with nothingness spread out before us and proclaim there is hope to be found even here.”</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">It did my heart good to think about the church boldly facing reality.&nbsp; But it lead me to wonder at how many ways we, the church, fail to face reality or even do things which intentionally obscure reality.&nbsp; How do we use faith to avoid uncomfortable truth?&nbsp; How does such behavior damage any credibility the church might have and get in the way of being love and justice in the world?&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">So, I propose a different Lenten discipline: each week of Lent let’s face honestly a new truth about church, faith or life.&nbsp; Such as:&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><br /><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Week 1:&nbsp; Speak honestly about someone else’s pain.&nbsp; I don’t mean tell someone else how they feel, but resist temptation to minimize someone else’s pain.&nbsp; We use our religion to minimize the pain of others all the time.&nbsp; We use euphemisms and platitudes.&nbsp; We talk about faith as though it is proof against pain.&nbsp; We talk about ministry as though it is a prize for suffering.&nbsp; This week, pay attention to how you react to other people’s difficulties.&nbsp; At least once, respond to someone by frankly acknowledging hurt without any caveats or comforts.&nbsp; Resist using phrases like “passed away” “with the angels” or describing how God is at work.&nbsp; Say something like “I am sorry he died” or “that sucks” or “how awful” or just “I am sorry.”&nbsp; Listen without fixing or comforting.&nbsp; Face the brutal reality of suffering in this world.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">I had planned on posting the other weeks of Lenten truth facing. &nbsp;But last night brought the death of another young child in our community. &nbsp;Our hearts are heavy. &nbsp;So, it seems this is all which needs to be said for now. &nbsp;I will post the other weeks some other time. &nbsp;A child has died and it is horrible.</span></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-64664312805601195882015-02-05T07:00:00.000-06:002015-02-05T07:00:03.958-06:00The Sledgehammer of Truth<div class="p1"><span class="s1">When I sat down after preaching recently, the first thought which went through my mind was “maybe this will be the time when they have finally had enough of my liberal preaching and will throw me out.”&nbsp; Then I thought “@!#$ it!”&nbsp; How is that for a holy, meditative frame of mind?&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Then I spent the rest of the service thinking about how wonderful this congregation is, what good and often difficult work they do, how I don’t do enough for them, etc.&nbsp; Well, along with things like “my tooth hurts, I have to remember to make a dentist appointment”... “I wonder if I will remember who gets gluten free today”... “jeepers that communion wafer was crunchy”... and other random thoughts.&nbsp; Pastors are people too.&nbsp; My point is I didn’t think “!@#$ it” because I don’t care or think poorly of the people in the pews.&nbsp; I thought those thoughts because it can be exhausting to know my beliefs differ from those to whom I am preaching and to continually attempt to figure out what I can say which will be true to what I believe without causing extreme anger or hurt.&nbsp; Again this isn’t about anything being wrong with those to whom I am preaching.&nbsp; I am not sure I have ever preached to a congregation where there weren’t a significant portion with beliefs very different from my own.&nbsp; Changes in my own faith in recent years accentuate these differences.&nbsp; The question is what to do about it? &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">I found myself wondering if I was being hypocritical.&nbsp; I have been annoyed with some of my colleagues who seem to believe they should just preach the truth as they see it and if people get upset it is just proof those people are sinful jerks.&nbsp; Or proof the preacher is a prophet.&nbsp; How different is it for me to decide I have to preach what I do even if it makes people angry? &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Maybe I am fooling myself but I think the difference is I try not to go after a topic with a sledgehammer when more delicacy might be helpful.&nbsp; My goal is not to prove others are jerks or to make myself into a prophet.&nbsp; My goal is to speak truth in ways which might move someone to greater compassion or to work toward justice.&nbsp; I don’t feel like I am in the pulpit to speak the truth and never mind the consequences.&nbsp; I feel like the point is for my words to have some effect.&nbsp; Usually the best way to do this is more subtle than telling people they are wrong or casting about judgment.&nbsp; How to speak truth in a way which might have a chance of changing hearts?&nbsp; The really tricky thing for me is my theology is so different from many in my area I often don’t realize how controversial my words are until they are coming out of my mouth.&nbsp; So, maybe I am doing no better than my sledge hammer of truth wielding colleagues.&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><br /><div class="p1"><span class="s1">&nbsp;Assuming we want our pastors to speak honestly about what they believe and since it is doubtful we will always agree with them, how would you like pastors (or politicians, or teachers or whomever) to speak about controversial issues?&nbsp; What are some methods of communication which you have found helpful, refreshing, or at least less offensive?&nbsp; What gives you pause to ponder rather than provoking defensiveness? &nbsp;</span></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083638296820168853.post-70652307933026158372015-01-19T07:00:00.000-06:002015-01-19T07:00:04.778-06:00For Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Those Who Serve In Unlikely Places<div class="p1">In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I wanted to share the sermon I preached this Sunday. &nbsp;I was reminded yesterday that there are places in this world where people do difficult work amongst sometimes difficult people and manage to love their neighbors and work for justice. &nbsp;Sometimes this happens within the church some times without. &nbsp;Wherever such love in action happens, most often unnoticed and in unlikely places, &nbsp;it is amazing. I would also like to dedicate these words to such as these. &nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">(The following sermon references scriptures from 1 Samuel 3 wherein Samuel hears the voice of God but does not recognize who is speaking, and John 1:43-51 where Nathanael meets Jesus for the first time.)</div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">The Creator of all, the ground of all being, God of all that has been and all that is and all that is to come, likes to come to us in most unimpressive packages.&nbsp; We read of Samuel, a touch slow on the uptake, an inexperienced boy of little faith, uttering his first prophecy. &nbsp; We read of Jesus growing up in the small rural village of Nazareth.&nbsp; And we read of God coming to Nathanael, who could be the patron saint of snark and blunt honesty, and whose most auspicious moment at this point was being seen under a fig tree.&nbsp; Furthermore, Samuel might have missed God entirely had it not been for his mentor, Eli, who gives his sage guidance in the midst of being called on the carpet for getting fat off benefits gained through the corrupt practices of his sons.&nbsp; Nathanael is brought to Jesus by the evangelist, Phillip, whose evangelical treatise consisted of “Oh, just come and see for yourself.”&nbsp; Somewhat unimpressive vessels for God’s wondrous power.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">This week we celebrate the life of a man whose words seem more fitting for a revelation of God.&nbsp; Martin Luther King Jr.’s words have rung majestically and inspiringly through the years. Words like: “<i>Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.</i>”&nbsp; and&nbsp; “</span><span class="s2"><i>When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual, ‘Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.’</i></span><span class="s3">"&nbsp; These words ring forth with glory and truth which causes us to forget the speaker was just a young preacher and from an era in which his skin color would have made him an unlikely prophet to many.&nbsp; And while honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is appropriate, it is important to remember God often shows up in even more surprising places.&nbsp; When we hear the stories of the blood of black youth spilled on our streets and analyze the character of those youth before we take the story seriously we forget God has not chosen only the pure and lofty for the work of prophecy.&nbsp; When we hear of horrors in far away places with difficult to pronounce names, like the school massacre in Peshawar, girls kidnapped in Boko Haram, child refugees from Honduras,&nbsp; and dismiss them as things that happen in places like <i>that</i> amongst people of <i>those other religions</i>, we forget the story of the Good Samaritan, the Syrophoenician woman, the magi, the Nazarene and all those beloved by God of unlikely faiths or from unlikely places.&nbsp;</span><span class="s1"> If we are looking for glitz and glory, purity and perfection, or only people who look and believe just like we do, we will fail to see God. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1">Phillip says to Nathanael, “come and see.”&nbsp; If we say these words to others what will they “come and see?”&nbsp; Will they see the love of God made manifest through feeding, healing, clothing, and caring for all people?&nbsp; Or will they see much fodder for snarky Nathanaels who might say, “What good could come from the church: a place of hatred and segregation, anti-homosexual, consumed by capitalism and self-justification, a place where attendance numbers trump justice.” &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Such Nathanaels might ask: “What should I come and see? &nbsp; Come and see a bunch of people singing?&nbsp; Come and see some person talk about a book more than a thousand years old?&nbsp; Come and see how many hypocrites I can spot?&nbsp; Come and see people do nothing but pray while children are dying?”&nbsp; There is truth in these harsh words. &nbsp;The church has too often well earned such snarky skepticism.&nbsp; Nathanaels are notorious truth bearers. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p4"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><br /><div class="p1"><span class="s1">And yet God comes in unlikely places.&nbsp; Perhaps amidst the rubble of a church gone far astray, in a place of insignificant attendance, in the middle of nowhere, amongst a people of little wealth, doing work of little glamor, who pause just long enough to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."&nbsp;</span></div>Sheri Ellwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521018942479639251noreply@blogger.com0